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Jaguars: Way-too-early 2023 AFC South prediction

By Ryan Gilhooly

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence greet each other after their win over the Tennessee Titans clinched the AFC South title, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, in Jacksonville.Jki 010723 Bs Jaguars Vs T 9
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence greet each other after their win over the Tennessee Titans clinched the AFC South title, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, in Jacksonville.Jki 010723 Bs Jaguars Vs T 9 /
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Mandatory Credit: Jenna Watson-USA TODAY Sports /

2nd Place – Indianapolis Colts (7-10)

The Indianapolis Colts could very well take a step forward again in 2023.

The team in 2023 that has the best odds at dethroning the Jaguars in the AFC South seems to be the Indianapolis Colts – almost by default.

Indianapolis greatly underperformed in 2022 given the talent they have sprinkled throughout their roster.

Players such as running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., left guard Quentin Nelson, center Ryan Kelly, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback Stephon Gilmore are all players who have flashed All-Pro potential throughout their respective careers.

Yet, due to poor play at the all-too-important quarterback position and a lack of overall depth on their roster, the Colts finished their 2022 season with a disappointing 4-12-1 record.

Knowing that they had a decent number of Pro Bowl-caliber players and surely seeing their playoff window getting smaller and smaller with this current group of players, the Colts have been trying to find a quick-fix veteran option at the quarterback position for the past several years.

First, it was future Hall of Famer Philip Rivers in 2021 – which certainly did not go as planned for the Colts.

Then, last year, they attempted to squeeze the last bit of starting-level play out of quarterback Matt Ryan, which ended in utter disaster with a metaphorical revolving door of starting and benching Ryan throughout the 2022 season.

Seeing the Colts throw in the towel and start a complete rebuild is hard to fathom given the amount of talent they still have going into next season.

What’s more likely is continuing their same strategy of bringing a veteran quarterback who they hope is the missing link.

Quarterbacks Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo are certainly options they will likely entertain. If the Colts can come up with an offer that is suitable for the Las Vegas Raiders without giving up too much in the cupboard, the Colts could very well end up challenging the Jaguars for the AFC Crown in 2023. But that is a lot of ‘ifs’.

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